Jimbo's Journal

We were let out of work early yesterday because the bosses went golfing.  I wandered over to Best Buy and picked up the a few DVDs: Dr. Strangelove, Robot Chicken Star Wars II, and the Director's Cut of Watchmen.  While I was browsing, it crossed my mind that maybe I should wait and not buy any more DVDs in anticipation of buying Blue Rays.  Not the first time it has crossed my mind, but the first time that I even bothered to consider it as a real possibility/eventuality.  I've been considering buying a new TV, but haven't looked into all the options yet (brand name, LCD v Plasma, size, etc).  Until now my line of reasoning has been that since I only have a 32" CRT TV, there's no need for me to have HD media.  That will change if I buy a new TV.  How will that affect my purchases and current movie collection?

On a related note, I hadn't realized that Jackie Earle Haley (Watchmen's Rorschach) played Kelly Leak in the original Bad News Bears.  I looked up a picture and he still looks the same.  He is also slated to play Freddy Krueger in a remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street.  Ugh.  Do we really need a remake of ANoES?  Short answer: NO!

Friday after work, I went and bought a new pair of gym shoes.  I also bought a pair of insoles for my work/casual shoes.  Hopefully they will help my feet and back.  I also picked up a gift for drmagoo's kid for the party Saturday.

Saturday, I drove down to Champaign.  I had an awesome time at Ethan's Birthday Party.  That kid is way too cute.

Sunday, I stopped off and visited with my parents while they were working.

Now it's back to work.  Ugh.  Monday morning started out pretty bad.  One of the guys in the shop wanted to return some parts.  When I asked him why, he told me that we will no longer be using them.  This touched off the whole parts matching drawings so that inventory is accurate .... blah, blah, blah....   I've been down this road so many times now that I have begun to intentionally try to run people over if they get in my way.....  Anyway, I was kinda grumpy the entire rest of the day.  (This is getting added to my To Do list which I may post about in the future.  It isn't about to go away, and I feel I'm reaching a breaking point.)

I bought myself something with (part of) my refund:

I sold the bike on Friday for $30.  Funny, VP said he was going to have Rightwing Nutjob take a look at the bike and tune it up a bit.  This would be the same person who said he'd look at it for me three years ago.  I'm going to go out on a limb and bet that he doesn't take that long this time.

I bought a bike (12-speed) back in college at a police auction for, I think, $15.  I replaced the tubes and tires, so I have a total of about $45-$50 invested in it.  I never really rode it.  I took it out a couple times and the chain came off, and I think at least one set of gears is bad (though I never actually learned how to ride a bike with gears).  About 4 years ago I brought it into work because Rightwing Nutjob Guy knows about bikes and offered to look at/tune up the bike.  He never did.  It's been sitting in the warehouse all this time.

Today the VP comes up to me and asks me if that is my bike.  He's a pretty gruff guy and we don't always communicate well, so I immediately become defensive and explain the situation.  It turns out he may be interested in it for his daughter*.  WHEW!  I tell him that he is free to take a look at it and even bring it home if he wants.  He asks me how much I might want for it.  I am NOT a very good seller/negotiator in these situations.  The bike isn't really worth anything to me.  I tell him I might not want anything for it.  He says he'd be willing to pay me something for it.  I say, if so, it wouldn't be much, maybe we can work something out.

So, am I a total idiot for not trying to make some money or am I better off doing a "favor" for the boss? 


*He says his daughter needs that type of bike for [competition]????  I don't really remember exactly what he said, because I was busy being defensive and panicking in my mind.  I'd hate for her to use the bike and it be a complete piece of shit.

They are perhaps a bit too casual/work, but I couldn't find any that weren't too dressy to wear them to work.  I haven't actually worn them yet, beyond trying them on, so I hope they are comfortable enough.  The heel is bigger than my last shoes (and less worn down), so they feel a bit strange.  I might still add or replace the insoles because the arch support isn't as high as I'd like/need, but we'll see on that.

A while back I posted that I had discovered that the Rockport shoes that I currently wear were MADE IN USA.  The soles are getting really worn and I really need to get a new pair, so I went down to the Factory outlet store a few weeks ago.  They didn't have anything in my size that jumped out at me, so I decided to check back later.  I haven't gotten a chance to go back there but was thinking about doing so this weekend.  Well, after work today, I stopped at a Famous Footwear and was surprised to see that they carry Rockport shoes.  I found a random pair and looked under the tongue (I had failed to do this at the outlet store, making the assumption) only to find those dreaded (but nearly universal) words MADE IN CHINA.  I am so disappointed.  I've been holding out, determined to give this company my business (and, yes, pay considerably more) for this very reason, and now .....   I feel strangely depressed about this whole thing.

I finally got a Halloween costume.  Unfortunately it isn't matching the steampunk theme (I just couldn't find one), and it has a mask.  But I have a costume!  It holds more to my "theme" of pop culture reference than S's, but at least this one is "scary."

After writing my football team off (for the rest of the season), I stopped by PETCO. I think I accidentally threw away the litter box scoop, and I desperately needed a new one. Since Kahlua had ripped the sisal rope off of her scratching post quite a long time ago, I've been looking for a replacement - something tall. PETCO had this one, regularly priced at $99, on clearance for half price. At checkout I also had a 10% Entire Purchase coupon that I had gotten in the mail. Through some miracle of PETCO mathematics, their computer rang it up at $22. Together with the scoop, I wound up paying, I think, just over $21.

Kahlua seems to like it.

 
(click to enlarge)

When I changed my cable service over to AT&T U-Verse a couple weeks ago, I got a second box for the TV in my bedroom.  I was a bit disappointed to learn that it only worked as a cable box and I couldn't record or watch recorded programs on that TV (even though I rarely watch that TV).  Well, I just got an automated phone call from AT&T saying that they upgraded the DVR service so that now you can watch recorded programs from ANY box in the house. 

SWEET!!




Quote of the Day:

Law And Order: "So what we're looking for is a tall, white, Asian, Hispanic midget ......."

To recap, I bought a new laptop at Best Buy in .... March (Feb?).  When I got it home it had a defect, so I returned it.  When I returned it, they credited my account, but neglected to recharge the new one.  So when I got my credit card statement and noticed, I decided to do the right thing and point it out to them.  I went in to the store and they (re)charged me for the laptop.  I noticed about a month after that that they hadn't given me my Reward Zone points.  So, I went in again, and blah, blah, they wound up crediting my account AGAIN and recharged my card.  Well, NOW I haven't been able to find the credit on my credit card statement.  So, now instead of not charging me at all, they've charged me twice  (at least if my observation is correct) ...... which is EXACTLY what I had worried about in the first place..... and makes me question my decision to "do the right thing" in the first place.

Well, I'm unusually busy right now AND I don't want to deal with this AGAIN!!!!  So I'm pissed off and confused and freaking out and anxious, and I can't do anything because I'm sitting here at work and my receipts are all at home and I'm busy and don't know when I will be able to address this ...............  AARRGGHH!!

I did two things today which, as far as I can remember, I have never done before.

1) I had a beer during lunch.  Lunch break during work, that is.  A vendor and friend took me out to lunch today and he mentioned how on a recent hot day, much like today, a beer really hit the spot.  I'm not a big beer drinker, but every once in a while, yes, it does hit the spot.  

2) I returned an item which I had bought to use once with the express intention of returning.  Yesterday, before my interview, I realized that I had forgotten my "pad folio" at home.  I hadn't exactly forgotten about it; I hadn't even thought about it.  Remember how I said I was not well prepared?  So at lunch I hopped over to Office Max and found a "pad folio" for $9.99.  I took the cardboard insert thing off of it, replaced the pad of paper with one of my own (just in case I needed to write on it), put in a nice-ish pen, and went to the interview.  Today I reversed the process and returned it for credit.  After all, I have a perfectly good one already at home.  Much nicer actually.  Come on ladies: don't you do this with dresses and outfits all the time?!?!?  ;-)  LOL

I don't feel the least guilty about either.  There is a small but distinct possibility that I may have felt a little guilty in the past ..... but not today.  NOTHING!

 

There are differences in batteries.  Don't buy THE CHEAPEST batteries you can find for use in your digital camera.  I had been buying 8-AA for $1 at the dollar store.  They seem to work fine in my remotes.  Apparently, however, they don't even have enough output to power up my digital camera.  My rechargeable Energizers don't seem to hold (enough of) a charge to be worth a crap either.  So the good news is that it wasn't a problem with my camera, just lousy batteries.

I can't say that I know what that means right now, other than knowing that I won't have overwhelming guilt later.

On Tuesday I got my credit card bill.  It seemed a LOT lower than I thought it would be.  I had, after all, bought my laptop.  Wednesday I got around to looking at the itemizations.  I noticed the charge for the laptop and then the next day, after I had discovered the flaw on the display, I showed the credit for returning it.  It did not, however, have a charge for the replacement.  So today after work, I went an hour out of my way to go back to the store to point out their mistake.  Sure enough, they recognized that they made a mistake.  My consciense is clear.  Yet I couldn't help hoping that they'd "reward" me somehow, perhaps a gift card.  I had to explicitly remind myself that that is not the reason for doing this.  I did it because it's the right thing to do.  I've felt bad for days sometimes after noticing that the grocery or department store accidentally left items off the bill and I neglected to say anything.  Yet there is a selfish part of me that wants recognition.  I'd be lying if I said that wasn't part of the reason for writing this, so please, no "attaboys."  I just feel like whenever I do the right thing, I have nothing to show for it.

ME!!

I went and bought a laptop last week with my annual tax return money.  I filed about a month before deadline this year (early for me, considering it is usually easy - just procrastination).  I figured the deposit would show up any day now.  So what did I get in the mail today?  My paperwork returned because I forgot to sign it ...... again.  This is either the second or third time that I've done this.  So now ..... well, I'm hoping that I still get the $600 bribe (which required that you filed on time).  On top of this I mailed my state return on the 14th.  On the 16th I got that one back because I'd either forgotten the stamp or it fell off.  I think it was the former.

AARRGGHH!!!




Everyday I fight a war against the mirror
I can't take the person staring back at me
I'm a hazard to myself

So doctor, doctor, won't you please prescribe me something?
A day in the life of someone else 'cause I'm a hazard to myself

Don't let me get me
I'm my own worst enemy
It's bad when you annoy yourself, so irritating
Don't wanna be my friend no more
I wanna be somebody else

I'm entering this on my brand-spanking-new laptop computer.  It's going to take some getting used to the smaller keyboard, and this touchpad has got to go - need a mouse.  LOVE it so far.

Haven't figured out yet how to find my home desktop on the wireless network........ anyone?

So I have been planning on getting a laptop with my tax refund this year.  After a couple days of looking around, I finally picked one.  A very short decision-making time for me, of which I am very proud.  I went to pick it up since they didn't have it at the store I was at.  Brought it home, turned it on, set up the Vista log-on password, etc., picked a background, noticed a flaw in the monitor (black speck that doesn't move or deviate no matter what), unplugged it put it back in the box, put it by the door in order to return tomorrow.


FUCK!!!! 

I stopped at the New Balance store after work.  I apparently wear a size 9(4E).  A few things caught my eye.  

The 576 is plain white on white, no frills.  Not quite as supportive of the 926, but it only costs $60, which is right in line with what I had considered spending.  He had no stock at the store in my size, so he's going to order a pair in for me to check out.

The 926 is slightly "sportier" and generally a better shoe.  It does, however, cost $99, which is $30-$40 more than I was hoping to spend, though not entirely out of the question.  It is available in white, which I'd want for a general walking shoe, but it is also available in brown 'suede', which looks possibly nice enough to wear for a business casual shoe.  So I'm wondering/debating buying two pairs (heeding

luminousx's advise to have an exclusive walking shoe) or buying just the brown and using it multipurpose.

Sports Authority had the NB 546 (apparently an older model) on sale for $40.

As for dress/casual shoes, NB also apparently now carries Dunham, and I think this Windsor is the one I kinda liked the look of, and I think it was cheaper than the NB926 Brown.

I can't remember which BROWN shoes I had liked at Kohl's.  The Docker's Shelter,  The Messina, The Bishop?   Actually, I think it was the Halleck, which Kohl's doesn't even show on their website.

Any opinions on any of that?

 

 

 

Stopped at Kohl's last night after work.  Tried on a couple shirts, and again came to the realization that generally Large are just a bit too small, but XLarge feel too big.  One shirt didn't fit right, no matter what the size, and the other was OK.  I put them both back but then found a shirt I really liked (an oddity for me).  I tried on the L and the XL about 6 times each and couldn't decide.  Which of course, compells me to then buy the XL since every time I buy the smaller, it will shrink or generally not fit comfortably.  And I long ago learned that buying smaller in the expectation of losing wait only leads to tragedy.  I also picked up a couple pairs of shorts (BUY 1 GET 1 FREE) in an effort to slowly pick away at all my excuses for not doing the least bit of exercise.

I got home and then went for a walk.  I tried to keep up the pace to get my heartrate up, but I am SO out of shape.  I never could run, and walking even hurts my feet and legs, since I have EXTREMELY flat feet.  I walked at a moderate pace for about 45 minutes and maybe about 2 miles* going almost all the way to the Square.  There're no good places to walk around my place.  The assoc has sidewalks but it is too small.  So I essentially have to walk out to and cross RT.47 which has no sidewalk access nor crossing light/crosswalks.  It's essentially run for your life and hope the drivers don't kill you.  Once across 47 there are sidewalks and you can get downtown easily.

After my walk, my right foot was hurting.  It felt like a joint that needs to be cracked but worse.  It's mostly better today, but I can still feel it.

Anyhoo, at least I got out and got a bit of exercise.

* I never could comprehend the required 4mi/hr pace REQUIRED in The Long Walk.